Scotland Decides!!!

[warmcome]

Scotland the brave me hole.

the Scottish are shrewd...

[SteveB]

They voted with their heads, not their hearts.
One thing to sing "Flower of Scotland" in the pub.
Quite another to vote to leave the United Kingdom.

[EIFII]

Bloody Scots lacked the balls...

[Best Before]

Bloody Scots lacked the balls...

I don't think they were ready, they didn't even know what currency they were going to adopt.

It was a bit of "We will make it up as we go along attitude" something btw I do myself but probably not the best approach to a country.
I'd say another 5 to 10 years a bit more ground work and they will be there.

[10inchesandcounting]

I don't know if it is a good thing or not, but what I can say is for once true (direct) democracy has spoken.
the people decided, not some so called representatives of the people who vote and decide what they want according to their interest.
If it is a mistake , this time the scots have no one to blame but themselves instead of having to pay for the mistakes of some inept politicians.
And I still think it is a good thing.

[Westsidex]

The first results are expected to be in around 2:00am. There is an estimated 90% of people in Scotland have registered to vote and a massive turnout of people that have voted! In East Lothian, there has been a turnout of 79.7%!!!

Who's going to win it, folks?

Here are the live results table:

http://www.bbc.com/news/events/scotland-decides/results

Well they shit themselves by the looks of it. It all goes back to the EU rubbish again. Afraid of having no money. I dont think that right now was the right time to have this referendum.

Westside.

[Westsidex]

I don't think they were ready, they didn't even know what currency they were going to adopt.

Yep it wasnt the right time at all for holding the referendum.

Westside.

[HairyPotter]

Result was no surprise really

[willieh]

This is all fascinating.

First of all Alex Salmond did not want the referendum for a few more years yet.

Then Alex Salmond wanted three options:

(a) Yes.
(b) No.
(c) Devolution Max.

Cameron and Clegg looked at the polls at that time and noted that there was just circa 25% in favour and told Salmond where to go: it was just going to be a straight yes or no.

Then last week when it looked like the result was going to be a very close run thing, Cameron, Clegg and Milleband all ran north and promised or "vowed" that, if Scotland voted no, they would start on Friday 19th September 2014 and plan for and actually give Devolution Max. (They could not call it a pledge as Clegg signed a "pledge" like this before the last election that he would not allow or permit third level fees and then, after he was elected, that is precisely what he did. So they could not call it a pledge!)

But the three leaders cannot agree on what that ought to entail and how much more power and discretion ought to be devolved.

And now the Welsh people and especially the English conservative backbench MP's are objecting to Scotland's guaranteed existing funding and, even worse, the greater powers proposed to being devolved to them.

If Westminster give Scotland far greater autonomy and money (let us not forget the money!!!!!),Scotland and Salmond are winners. Salmond and his tactics will be seen to have delivered all this!

If Westminster and the three Leaders renege on the so called "Vow", then Salmond and the SNP will get a huge election boost and will be able to say "I told you so, you cannot ever trust the English". And it will decimate both the Conservatives AND Labour in Scotland in elections for years to come.

And despite what Salmond has stated (i.e. that there will not be another referendum for a generation) if the Vow is broken, there could well be another referendum within five years. And then what will happen that 55% to 45% margin against independence?

In the meantime Scotland will do well whatever happens. That 10% margin (or 5% swing vote) will terrorise all the UK parties and Westminster for years to come.

UKIP will also be delighted as they will use this to press for more for England.

Wales will press for the same spending guarantees and benefits that Scotland has.

The NI parties are all delighted and relieved as Sinn Fein want the fudning there to continue and ant to be the only show in town and the DUP were afraid that Scotland going independent would push the North south into the Republic.

Dublin is delighted as Salmond and Scotland will not be able to reduce their 20% Corporation tax down to match Ireland's 13.5% corporation tax rate and compete with Ireland for FDI.

Spain, Italy and Belgium are all delighted as it will not provide support for their own internal regional independence movements.

The US is delighted as it prevents a serious headache for NATO.

I could go on but this result really means everyone is a winner - until Westminster reneges .............

[WatWatWat]

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